CONTENTS

3 A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

4 WHAT WE DO/OUR VALUES

5 OUR HISTORY

6 TIMELINE

7 OUR PROJECTS

9 BOARD MEMBERS

12 TEAM MEMBERS

14 2016 HIGHLIGHTS

15 HOW TO GET INVOLVED

16 FINANCIALS

A LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Every year I get the privilege of writing this letter in our annual report. I cherish the opportunity to look back and take account of all the good things that God is doing through our meager efforts at the Center for Church Communication (CFCC). I never cease to be amazed at how we hear from communications directors “in the trenches” about how we’ve helped make life a little easier for them.

I get to reflect on how burdens are lifted through Creative Missions. I get to see people read Church Marketing Sucks and experience the “frustrate, educate, motivate” process. I get to see members join the Courageous Storytellers membership site and, often for the very first time in their ministry career, find that particular resource that helps them turn the ship of change in their local context. I watch as someone attends one of our live events and a light comes on that causes the light of the gospel to shine brighter in the community they return to.

I’m one of the lucky ones. Many people go through most of their lives and never get to see the change that their work makes in the world. But I do. And I want to share that beauty with you.

If you are a writer, contributor, missionary, designer, photographer, editor, strategist, sponsor, advertiser, supporter, prayer warrior, or any other participant in what we’re doing here at CFCC, please let me take this opportunity to thank you. Your participation here matters and is making an eternal difference.

Chuck ScogginsExecutive Director

“Without Church Market-ing Sucks, I may not be in church marketing.”

-Katie Allred

WHAT WE DO

The Center for Church Communication (CFCC) is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that works to help churches communicate better.

We’re a firebrand of communicators, sparking churches to communicate the gospel clearly, effectively and without compromise. We’re advocates for church communicators. We’re fans of local churches. We’re fellow strugglers.

We provide smart coaching and mentoring through blogs, social media, publishing, events and more. We promote relationships, resources, ideas, and models for communication that will change how people see Christians and the church.

We want to see more people saying, “That’s what church should be!”

OUR VALUES

+ Reflecting Jesus+ Clear communication+ Continued learning+ Generosity in spirit and resource+ Praising, supporting, and equipping others+ Collaborating with integrity and transparency+ Humility in expressing our unique personalities+ Disagreeing well+ Not stealing from others+ Owning mistakes and resolving problems

“I cannot emphasize enough how my job satisfaction, productivity, and even my outlook on ministry has changed due to what I have learned through Church Marketing Sucks and the resources it has lead me to.”

-Jeanette Yates

OUR HISTORY

The Center for Church Communication started as an idea to help churches communicate better. The initial roots go back to the late 1990s when Brad Abare started a marketing agency that worked with a handful of churches and ministries. It quickly became clear that ministry pricing didn’t equal financial sustainability, so Brad continued to help churches on the side while growing his company as a separate entity outside of the “church market.”

Several years later, in 2004, Abare tried again to launch a stand-alone company that would work exclusively with churches. During a planning meeting for the launch of CFCC, the idea for Church Marketing Sucks was also born. Together, the Center for Church Communication and Church Marketing Sucks would both serve churches by drawing attention to effective communication and offering resources for accomplishing the task. It didn’t take long for CFCC to abandon its original commercial model, and instead come alongside and be the overarching organization for Church Marketing Sucks, the Church Marketing Lab and other projects being hatched. CFCC would be the nonprofit hub for multiple communication support streams, and continue to foster and facilitate a community of church communicators around the world.

“It’s great to come to things like this [Certification Lab] and realize you have a network of folks to reach out to.”

-Kara Pearce

TIMELINE

2004 First Church Marketing Sucks blog post goes live in July

2005 CFCC incorporates as a nonprofit

2006 Church Marketing Lab launches

2009 Establish board of directors and executive director position

2011 Publishing efforts begin with Outspoken: Conversations on Church Communication

2013 First Certification Lab is held in Nashville, Tenn.

2014 Church Marketing Podcast goes on the air

2015 Weekly #cmschat on Twitter begins

2016 Courageous Storytellers Membership Site is launched

“This was a great read! Very thought-provoking points that challenged my thinking.”

-Porter Cyr

OUR PROJECTS

CHURCH MARKETING SUCKSCFCC’s most popular and visible service to churches, the blog features helpful ideas, practical resources, inspiration, and a strong voice championing church communication. 2015 saw more free social media graphics offered for churches to use and continued community involvement in creating content. A number of stories were shared at Easter about what individual churches were doing.

COURAGEOUS STORYTELLERSThroughout 2016 we were working behind the scenes to build a membership site. The site launched late in the year and offers resources, ready-made materials, webinars, and more to help the beginning church communicator. While the majority of the resources are for members only, a sampling of resources are offered to our email list.

THE INTENSIVEWe offer two-day, small group workshop events to equip church communicators and take them to the next level. In 2016, successful events were held in Nashville, San Antonio, and an Advanced event in Atlanta. At the end of 2016, the Certification Lab branding was retired and the events renamed The Intensive. Five events were announced for 2017.

CREATIVE MISSIONS Designed as a missions trip for creatives, Creative Missions gives church communicators the opportunity to use their skills to help local churches communicate better. In 2016, 25 creative missionaries helped a dozen under-resourced churches in Vermont communicate better and share the gospel.

PUBLISHING Since 2011, CFCC has published books and ebooks, including Outspoken, Dangerous, and Unwelcome. In 2016 we added Super Sunday: Planning Easter for Your Church and Is Your Church Ready to Quit?: 166 Ways to Be a Quitter.

“Your tweets inspire me to be more intentional and engaging with my church’s social media. Seriously.”

-Sammy Rey

SOCIAL MEDIA Church Marketing Sucks has an active social media pres-ence on Twitter and Facebook. CFCC news, blog posts, and unique content are shared, and we’re also interacting and connecting with our community.

#CMSCHATSteve Fogg, along with special guests, hosted more than 30 chats on Twitter covering a range of church communi-cation issues. The conversations are a casual way to en-gage with a topic, share ideas, ask questions, and connect with the community.

CHURCH MARKETING PODCASTHosted by Dave Shrein, the podcast covers conversation on church communication. Topics in 2016 included bulle-tins, social media, and email marketing.

LOCAL MEETUPS We encourage local get togethers by connecting indepen-dent groups with communicators eager for community. It’s a chance to share ideas, encouragement, and horror stories.

EVENTS CALENDAR A public calendar listing all sorts of church communica-tions and marketing related events. Find an event near you.

JOB BOARD We’re connecting churches and creative professionals with a job board that hosts industry job openings and freelance opportunities.

“LOVE your resources and am so appreciative as a new marketing director for my church.”

-OurFaithJourneys

BRAD ABAREBrad Abare is the founder of the Center for Church Communication. He consults with companies and organizations, helping them figure out why in the world they exist, why anyone should care and what to do about it. He and his wife, Jamaica, live in Los Angeles with their daughter, Miró.

NICK JONESNick Jones is a journalist, cinematographer, and creative strategist with over 20 years of experience in supporting Christian ministries and nonprofit organizations. As the owner of Prolifik, a documentary film studio based in Oklahoma City, Nick has provided the creative horsepower behind many notable conferences and campaigns including the Willow Creek Summit, People of the Second Chance, Foursquare Church, Compassion International, The Mentoring Project, and more. Nick specializes in international journalism, and has filed stories for organizations in more than 20 countries around the world. As one of the first creative professionals hired by Life.Church, Nick’s insight into creative team building, curriculum development and multi-site strategy make him a highly sought-after creative consultant. Nick currently lives in Oklahoma City with his wife Rachel.

MARK MACDONALDMark MacDonald is the senior church brand strategist for BeKnownForSomething.com, an agency that helps churches and people intentionally become known for something that will create relevance in their community.

BOARD MEMBERS

For more than 30 years, Mark has served as designer, creative director, and strategist in one of Eastern Canada’s largest agencies and at PinPoint Creative in North Carolina. He and his wife of 27 years have a son in seminary and a son studying live sound engineering.

CLEVE PERSINGERCleve Persinger believes the local church is God’s “Plan A,” the primary body through which God does his work in the world. Cleve mobilizes people and resources to serve churches through multiple hats. He is the director of strategic partnerships at The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., a freelance communications/marketing consultant, and founder of Creative Missions, mission trips for media professionals. Cleve and his wife, Katie, reside in Chapel Hill, N.C. with their children, Cy, Charlotte and Warner.

CHUCK SCOGGINSChuck Scoggins is the executive director of the Center for Church Communication and creative director at New River Church in Lake Wylie, S.C. He believes in the importance of excellence in church communication if the local church is to accomplish its mission. He also is passionate about serving and equipping church communicators. Chuck serves on the leadership team of Creative Missions and also runs a design agency, 374Designs. You can follow him on Twitter and his blog, ChuckScoggins.com.

ANDY SWARTAndy Swart is the lead and founding pastor of Metro Church in Centerton, Ark. He planted “The Metro” in 2008 when he heard the call of God to reach his generation for Christ. The least-churched demographic is 18- to 30-year-old males, and that statistic goes hand in hand with Andy’s desire is to turn “boys who can shave” into “men that matter.” He is a gifted preacher and teacher of the Bible, and spends his days leading the elders, staff and ministry leaders at The Metro. Andy and his wife, Carman, live in Northwest Arkansas (the home of Walmart!) with their three amazing kids, Laine, Ellie, and Shepherd. You can find Hondo, their faithful yellow labrador, close at all times.

ROBERT CARNESRobert Carnes is the marketing and communications manager at Make-A-Wish Georgia. He serves as the social media director at Vinings Church and helps out at the assistant editor of Church Marketing Sucks. Previously, he worked in communications at two United Methodist churches in Metro Atlanta.

ERIN FELDMANErin Feldman is a marketing consultant and copywriter based in Austin, Texas. When she isn’t helping clients tell their stories, she reads, writes essays and poetry, draws, and takes boxing classes. Her first coloring book, Write Right Colors Shakespeare, is available for purchase on Amazon. She served with Creative Missions in 2016 and joined our team as an assistant editor.

STEVE FOGG Steve Fogg serves as the big cheese of communications at his church in Melbourne, Australia; he married way above his pay grade and has three children. In late 2016 he made the move the London. Steve hosts our weekly #cmschat on Twitter.

KEVIN D. HENDRICKSKevin D. Hendricks is a freelance writer, editor, and web geek. He’s our editorial director, overseeing content, ebooks, and more. His communications company, Monkey Outta Nowhere, works with nonprofits, ministries, and companies that care. Kevin has been blogging since 1998, once spent a summer as a yo-yoing street performer on the streets of Chicago and likes to read a lot. Kevin and his wife, Abby, live in St. Paul, Minn., with their two kids and two dogs.

ADAM LEGGAdam Legg is a creative leader, social media nerd, and digital junkie, who is convinced that you and your story matter! He served as the creative arts and communications pastor at ChangePoint church in Anchorage, Alaska. Adam helped with social media for Church Marketing Sucks and CFCC before stepping down halfway through 2016.

TEAM MEMBERS

CARLOS SANDOVALCarlos came to our team in 2016, working with Dave Shrein on social media. He’s the client services manager for Shrein Media and lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three kids.

CHUCK SCOGGINSChuck Scoggins is the executive director of the Center for Church Communication. He believes in the importance of excellence in church communication if the local church is to accomplish its mission. He also is passionate about serving and equipping church communicators. Chuck serves on the leadership team of Creative Missions and also runs a design agency, 374Designs. You can follow him on Twitter and his blog, ChuckScoggins.com.

DAVE SHREINDave Shrein is the author of The Communicator’s List, a free publication for church communicators. You can connect with Dave on his blog, DaveShrein.com, where he writes about leadership and communications or follow him on Twitter. Dave also hosts our Church Marketing Podcast and oversees our social media efforts.

KATIE STRANDLUNDKatie Strandlund loves to help other people win. At CFCC she serves in a project management role with the Church Marketing Sucks team and the CFCC Board. By day, you can find her running her company, DirtyWork, where she and her team help entrepreneurs, small nonprofits, and churches find clarity, get unstuck, and get started. She also runs Collective Difference, an event management company. She blogs occasionally at CautiousCreative.com where curiosity finds courage.

2016 HIGHLIGHTS

CHURCH MARKETING SUCKSChurch Marketing sucks continued in its second decade with 105 blog posts from 26 different writers. We sent 59 emails to our main list, highlighting new content, resources, and opportunities.

COURAGEOUS STORYTELLERSOur new membership site launched with two themes in 2016, focusing on Christmas and volunteers. The site’s value grows every month, offering webinars, ready-made social media graphics, church-related stock photos, downloadable templates and graphics – including charts, guides, manuals, PSD, files and more – discounts from various organizations, and the full line of CFCC’s books.

THE INTENSIVEWe hosted three events and offered over 48 hours of instruction to attendees. (formerly known as Certification Lab)

CREATIVE MISSIONSTwenty five creative missionaries served a dozen churches and created:8 new websites or website redesigns.17 logo designs and branding packages.33 print designs (business cards, invite cards, postcards, etc.).23 signs and banners.16 videos.20 training, audits, consulting, or social media strategy sessions.5 photo sessions with 500 photos.24 miscellaneous graphics (event graphics, etc.).9 audio/video or IT installs.20 documents, manuals, or guides.

SOCIAL MEDIA2,302 tweets and 358 Facebook posts.32 #cmshat conversations on Twitter, including 2 video chats.

PUBLISHING26,066 words across two books, including 166 things your church should quit.

“Church Marketing Sucks has more resources than I have time to absorb. Grateful for their stuff.”

-David Hansen

HOW TO GET INVOLVEDHere are a few ways you can join the movement to help churches communicate better:

JOIN THE CONVERSATIONPost comments and reply to social media posts.

PARTICIPATEJoin our membership site, attend one of our events, or join our

team and volunteer.

DONATEWe don’t ask for money often, but this work does cost money and we welcome the support. You can make a tax deductible donation

or consider a sponsorship opportunity.

LET’S SHARE THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD We love serving you, and we love helping you serve one another. As you can see, there are lots of places where you can join forces with us and help churches better communicate the most important story ever told.

CONTACT US TO FIND OUT HOW YOUCAN GET INVOLVED.

“I went [to Certification Lab] last year and it was AMAZING. One of the best conferences for church com-municators and the speakers are great!”

-Alex Johnston

FINANCIALS

INCOME

Sponsorships ..............................................$12,500Affiliate Earnings ............................................. $676Contributions .................................................$7,667Events ........................................................... $36,157Creative Missions: ...................................... $11,934Membership ..................................................$5,999Product Sales .............................................. $12,659

EXPENSES:

Events ...............................................................$17,201Creative Missions: ...........................................$6,299Travel (Events + Creative Missions): ..........$34,051Products: .......................................................... $7,389Bank Charges ..................................................$2,346Contract Labor .............................................. $37,550Dues & Subscriptions .....................................$3,945Office Supplies .................................................$1,518Postage .................................................................. $30Professional Fees ........................................... $2,600Telephone ...........................................................$403

Memberships

Product Sales

Events

Bank Charges

Contributions

Sponsorships

Creative Missions

Creative Missions

Products

Contract Labor

Dues & Subscriptions

Bank Charges

Travel

O�ce Supplies

Events

Telephone Professional Fees